Cocaine is a drug which is available in crystal or in powder form. This drug is usually mixed with other substances like talcum powder, corn starch, sugar or other drugs. It is basically extracted from coca leaves and was used as a painkiller initially. Users usually sniff the drug and it gets mixed in the blood stream through nasal tissues. Some users also ingest the drug or rub in their gums.

Initially discovered as a painkiller, cocaine has now become one of the most dangerous drugs. It is said that once a user starts taking the drug it is almost impossible to stop taking it in the future. Cocaine affects both physical and mental receptors of the user. Mentally, it creates a euphoria to which the user creates a tolerance level very quickly. Physically it activates the key receptors in the body.

Addiction –

Cocaine is the second most dangerous drug that creates the greatest psychological dependency effect. The drug stimulates the key receptors inside the brain, which causes the user to feel heightened euphoria. The body develops a tolerance level for cocaine fairly quickly. The user soon fails to achieve the same level of satisfaction from the same amount of drug taken before therefore he/she increases the quantity and becomes an addict.

The Silent Victims –

All the addicts give the same statement “yes I take drugs, it is none of your business”, but it is not only the addict, who suffers from the effects of cocaine in his body. People around him or strangers who meet the person when he is high on drugs are also affected.

The most innocent and silent victims of cocaine abuse are babies who are born to women who take cocaine during their pregnancy period. According to statistics thousands of babies are born in the United States alone who are cocaine exposed. These babies suffer from many disorders like low birth weight, birth defects, stunned growth, damage to nervous and brain system. Most of the low birth weight babies die within their first month after birth, and others suffer from lifelong disabilities.

Effects of Cocaine –

Short Term –

Cocaine users experience an intense high for a short period of time. This is immediately followed by some opposite reactions like edginess, intense depression and most importantly craving for more drugs. Usually users do not eat or sleep normally. They can also experience muscle spasms, increased heart rate and convulsions. The addicts usually go for the drug for short term high feeling. They often ignore the other effects of the drug, which leads them to crave more for the drug.

Long Term –

As the body creates a tolerance level to this drug, a user takes more and more quantity of it to experience the same level of high that he experienced in the beginning. Prolonged use can lead to sleep deprivation, loss of appetite. Major abuse can also lead to death.